Construct validity of the Family Outcomes Survey - Revised expanded helpfulness scale

Abstract

Background: With family centred practice as one of the tenets in early childhood intervention (ECI), it is important to understand family outcomes as a means of assessing the effectiveness of ECI services.

Aims: The present paper investigates the psychometric properties of an expanded measure of caregivers' perceptions of helpfulness of ECI services, the Family Outcomes Survey - Revised, Expanded Part B (FOS-RE B).

Methods and procedures: Two-hundred and forty-six caregivers of children enrolled in an ECI programme in Singapore completed the FOS-RE B, as well as convergent validity measures (FOS-R Part A, Depression, Stress and Anxiety Scale and questions addressing perceptions of family situation and optimism for the child's future). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the FOS-RE B and correlations were used to examine convergent validity.

Outcomes and results: The factor structure of the FOS-RE B was found to mirror the structure of the FOS-R A, as hypothesized. Evidence for convergent validity, in the form of correlations with family well-being measures was found, as well as evidence for good internal consistency reliability.

Conclusions and implications: It is concluded that the FOS-RE B presents a promising measure of perceived helpfulness of ECI services.

Keywords: Early childhood intervention; Family outcomes; Helpfulness of services.